Improvement in bee-hives



.M. DAVIS.

Bee-Hives.

Patented Ugo. 22,1874.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

THE GRAPHIC cmwqbro-umas; 44 PARKVFLACE, MY.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

MONROE DAVIS, OF ARCOLA, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0- 158.,045, dated December 22, 1874; application filed August 15, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MONROE DAVIS, of Arcola, in the county of Dade and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Moth-Proof Bee-Hive, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a detail vertical section of my improved bee-hive. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the moth-trap.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

A represents the body of the hive, which forms the brood-chamber. The hive A is suspended in a frame-work, B, which is supported by legs 0, of such a length as to raise the hive to a convenient height. To the upper ends of the sideboards of the hiveA are hinged the lower edges of the parts D of the top or cover of the hive, so that the said cover can be turned back to give convenient access to the hive. The upper parts of the cover D meet, the end of one part projecting a little above the other, and the inner edge of the shorter part is beveled 0% to fit against the under side of the other part. In the middle part of the beveled edge of the shorter part D is formed a notch, 61, to serve as a passageway for the bees in entering and leaving the hive. The passage d is covered and protected from the weather by a board, E, attached to the edge of the longer part D of the cover. The end boards of the brood-chamber A have their upper ends beveled ofi at an angle to fit into the angular space between .the parts D of the cover. F is the bottom of the hive, which is made in two parts, inclining downward and toward each other, a space being left between their lower ends,as shown in Fig. 1, and the angles of the lower ends of the hive are out off flush with the lower edges of said bottom. To the ends of the hive A, a little above the opening in the bottom F, are attached the ends of a crossbar, G. The upper edge of the cross-bar G is notched to receive the bottom bar of the comb-frames H, the upper parts of which are made angling, to fit into the angular space between the parts of the cover D. The lower ends of the inclined top bars of the comb-frames H project a little, and are beveled off to an edge, which rests in notches in the upper edges of the side boards of the hive A, so the bees cannot wax said frames so firmly in place as to make it difficult to remove them. The upper an gular parts of the frames H are covered with glass plates I, the edges of which slide in grooves'in the inner sides of the inclined parts of the ends of the hive A, so that the cover D may be turned back and the condition of the hive inspected without uncovering the bees. J are the honey-boxes, the top, bottom, and ends of which are formed of the boards of the frame or table D. The inner side of the honey-boxes J is formed by the sides of the hive A, and their outer side is formed by a slide, j, which may be drawnout to give access to said honeyboxes. The honey-boxes J may be supplied with comb-frames K, if desired. The bees obtain access to the honey-boxes J through one or more holes, a, in the sides of the hive A, which holes are covered by disks L, which are pivoted to the sides of the hive A, and have holes formed through them, corresponding in position to the holes through the sides ofthe said hiveA,so that the holes a may be covered and uncovered by turning the disks L upon their pivots, to give the bees access to or shut them out of the boxes J. r The disks L are turned by wires attached to them, and which pass out through holes in the frame B. M are two triangular plates, to the" lower parts of which are attached theends of a plate, N, which is bent into angular form, and thus forms a trough to receive the dropping from the hive, and which may serve as a nest for the moths. To the triangular plates M are attached the ends of a plate, 0, which is bent into angular form, and is placed a little above the plate N. The plate 0 has numerous slits formed in it, which are made of such a size that the moth and moth grub cannot pass through them, but which will allow the droppings to pass through into the plate N. To the upper side parts of the triangular plates M are attached the ends of two plates, 1, which pass down along the lower parts of the bottom F, and are curved inward beneath the edges of said bottom, and then downward. The edges of the plates N O are also curved downward.

By this construction, should a moth or grub attempt to enter the hive by crawling up the sides of the plate N, it will fall off the curved edge of said plate. Should a moth by any chance getinto the hive, it will always come out occasionally, and will be received in the plate 0, and in trying to again enter the hive it will crawl up the sides of the plate 0, will squeeze through the space between the plates 0 and P, and fall from the curved edge of said plate 0. It will be observed that the bees roost in the upper part of the hive A, so that moth cannot enter through the passage 01.

MONROE DAVIS.

Witnesses:

J. M. MGINTURFF, Gno. W. MORRIS. 

